Brake fade is when the brakes of a vehicle become less effective after a period of prolonged continuous use. During brake fade, it may feel like the pedal is working; however, the car will take longer to stop than usual.
The most common type of brake fade is fiction fade. Friction fade occurs when the brake is lightly pressed down for a long period of time. The friction from the brake pads and rotor creates heat which ineffective causes the brakes to stop working correctly.
How can I avoid brake fade?
To avoid experiencing brake fade, you should only briefly press on the brake and then release the pedal to give the brake pads time to cool off. To slow down the car further, you can use engine braking by switching down to a lower gear.
If you notice that you already have friction fade, you need to stop the vehicle for at least an hour to give the brakes a chance to cool down.